


Time Loop

by Choke-a-Bro (Vanya_Deyja)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Nonsense, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 11:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21355381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanya_Deyja/pseuds/Choke-a-Bro
Summary: It's the Prince's birthday and some weirdo in a hat has infiltrated the palace. Nine year old Ignis Scientia and ten year old Gladiolus take it upon themselves to save the day.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 153





	Time Loop

Ignis is nine years old tonight, Gladiolus ten. Since a high level security alert was sounded at Prince Noctis' third birthday celebration they've been stashed in Lord Amicitia's office while the Citadel goes into lock down. 

Ignis is feeling a little offended in all honesty. Why isn't he with the Prince? He's important and if the King is supervising the investigation and calming delegates who is going to keep baby Noctis calm? 

Gladiolus is less concerned. He's more interested in taking the opportunity to snoop in his father's office.

"How long is this going to take?" Ignis wonders.

"Dunno," Gladio grunts, pulling open a desk drawer. 

"Shouldn't we be doing something?" 

"Adults'll handle it." Gladio dismisses. "What're you going to do anyway shrimp?"

"I don't know..." Ignis bristles. "But I'm sure I could be doing something."

"Holy crap!" Gladio announces.

Ignis perks in his seat on the couch. "What?"

"Dad's got a gun in here!" Gladio explains, leaning over the drawer.

"We shouldn't be playing with that," Ignis warns. "It's dangerous."

"I just wanna look," Gladio counters, "I thought only Niffs had guns!"

Ignis is distracted momentarily. Are Niffs attacking the palace? Is that what this is? His conspiracy theories are derailed however when, attempting to chide Gladio once again, a man crashes through the office window and tumbles over the desk.

The children yelp, scrambling back from the glass, and rolling off the desk the man takes a crouch on the carpet.

"Okay, not my most graceful landing," he wheezes. "Now where--?" 

He turns, trying to get his bearings, and finds Ignis petrified in the far corner of the couch. 

"Iggy...?" He blinks.

Ignis blinks back.

"Oh my god, you're tiny!" The man laughs delightedly.

"Told ya," Gladio grumbles, peaking his head out cautiously from around the corner of the desk. 

The man whips back with another beaming smile.

"Miniature Gladio! Holy shit!" 

"Who you calling miniature, asshole?" Gladio grunts.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" The man laughs, standing and dusting himself off. "Glad I found you guys. Where am I? Which office?"

"You just broke in," Ignis finds his voice cautiously, pushing his glasses up his nose. "We should call the Glaive on you."

"Please don't," the man implores, "it's a long story but I'm on your side." 

"Prove it," Gladio grunts, still only peeking out from behind the desk.

"See this?" The young man raises his hand. "Do you recognize this?"

"No?" Gladio mumbles.

"It's the Ring of the Lucii, dumbass," Ignis huffs before rounding on the stranger. "How'd you get that?"

"I'm Noctis," the man answers.

"The Prince is still shitting his pants." Gladio grumbles.

"I'm from the future," Noctis declares. "Like I said; long story. Now what office am I in? I need to orientate. This place is a maze."

"If you're Noctis, why are you here?" Ignis presses.

"Someone really bad has come back in time to try and kill me," Noctis explains. "I'm going to kick his ass and let you guys get back to being kids. Now, Iggy, where am I?"

Ignis hesitates but....

Something about those features, the way he says his name... 

Ignis just... he can feel it. This is Noctis.

"We're in Lord Amicitia's office." Ignis answers. "Sixteenth floor." 

"Do you know where they've taken me?" Noctis asks.

"You'll probably be secure in your chambers or the King's." Ignis shrugs.

"Alright, well, home field advantage at least. I know this joint way better than that creep..." Noctis murmurs. "Alright, thanks, stay here and don't--"

"Take us with you," Ignis orders.

"Wha--? No chance!" Noctis snorts, baffled.

"You have to," Ignis implores. "We're supposed to help you. Right Gladio?"

"Umm...." Gladio hesitates. "I guess...?"

"Ugh, fine, ignore Gladio and let me come with you."

"Hey! You're not leaving me here alone!" Gladio flusters.

"I'm not taking either of you!" Noctis declares. "You're kids. Stay here and stay safe, alright? Prince's orders."

Ignis huffs but stays put as Noctis charges out the room and barrels off down the hallway.

Ignis hesitates for maybe two seconds.

"Okay." Ignis takes a deep breath. "Gladio get the gun and let's go."

"Go?" Gladio blinks. "Go where?"

"Noctis is in trouble, he said so, we have to go help." Ignis answers curtly, like its the most logical thing in the world.

"Dude! No way!" Gladio rails.

"Are you a Shield or a coward?" Ignis huffs, getting onto his feet and taking off his little suit jacket. 

"I-- Ugh! You're the worst!" Gladio moans, scrambling back to get the gun out of the desk. "What are we even going to do?"

"We're going to get to the Prince's rooms and help." Ignis announces as if that clears anything up. 

"How?" Gladio moans.

"Just come on!" Ignis urges. 

The palace is in a shambles. Glaive are in chaos, party guests are being ferried across the Citadel, and as Gladio and Ignis sneak past adults to a bridge between towers--

"I-Ignis..." Gladio warbles. "Is that...?"

"T-that's a daemon," Ignis agrees in a whisper, yanking Gladio down so they're hiding behind a pillar. 

"How did it get in?" Gladio hisses.

"I assume the bad guy brought them," Ignis whispers, watching the creature cautiously.

"Where are the Glaive though? The Crownsguard?" 

Ignis glances, surveying the bridge and--

Ignis swallows.

That's definitely a body.

"We should turn back," Gladio whispers.

"We're almost there," Ignis insists. "We've just got to sneak past this thing..."

"How?" Gladio reels.

Ignis chews his bottom lip, eyes flickering. 

"Gladio can you shoot the glass...?" Ignis whispers.

"What's that gonna do?" Gladio snaps.

"Just do it!" Ignis hisses. 

Gladio mulls it over but raising the handgun takes aim. It's probably the longest thirty seconds of Ignis' little life.

When the bullet hits the glass it rebounds off the thickened surface. The ricochet draws the monsters attention but almost immediately the security alarm starts _blaring_.

Gladio winces, the children cover their ears, but for the sensitive daemon its evidently too much. It starts shrieking and writhing on the ground.

Ignis grabs Gladio's sleeve and drags him out from behind the pillar.

"You're crazy," Gladio hisses.

"Just run!" Ignis orders.

They bolt, scattering past the daemon's flickering tail, and run for another two hall ways through the new tower till they're well out of range of the alarm. Ignis puffs and huffs and Gladio looks about ready to murder him.

"This is an awful idea!" Gladio moans.

"We're almost there," Ignis insists, dragging him by the hand.

Gladio's too frazzled to argue.

The door to the Prince's suite has been blown open by something or someone. Crownsgaurd and staff are very obviously dead and something... Something just doesn't feel right. Ignis, in a blind panic, surges into the room.

"Noct?" He calls. "Noct? You here?"

No answer. 

Ignis checks all their favorite hiding spots while Gladio idles nervously on the rug. Ignis looks under the bed, the closet-- He pivots, rushing across the room. He remembers suddenly there's an old service hatch Noctis squeezed his tiny butt into one particularly fraught game of hide and seek a few weeks ago.

Ignis finds the panel, gets his tiny little fingers in it, and yanks.

It's dark inside and his shadow is making it harder to see.

"Noct?" He whispers.

Sure enough, the toddler comes sobbing into Ignis' arms. Ignis breaths a tangible sigh of relief and bundles Noctis up against him. 

"Hey buddy," he whispers, squeezing Noctis tight. "You scared me." 

"Iggy!" Noctis wails. 

"I know, I know..." Ignis croons.

"We should go," Gladio murmurs. "Something's wrong."

"Why, gentlemen--"

Ignis and Gladio lurch hard to the direction of the sound. 

Ignis doesn't recognize the man who fathoms out of the air but Ignis dislikes him instantly. His magic isn't Glaive magic. It's all wrong. Its... it's gross somehow.

"Now, now, it's alright." The man assures. "I have to thank you. I was having such trouble finding the tyke. If you would...?"

"Get lost," Ignis growls, arms locked around Noctis.

"Aren't children supposed to listen to adults?" The man sighs. "I'm Lucian, same as you!"

"Doesn't mean shit," Gladio grumbles warily.

Inching Gladio slides a little closer to Ignis and Ignis tugs Noctis and himself a little closer to Gladio so they can make a little wall in front of the Prince.

The man scoffs.

"You two are just difficult by nature I see," he sighs. "Alright, well, I suppose you leave me no choice. I'll just have be extra nasty tonight...." 

Ignis and Gladio stand their ground, sharing a wary glance, but don't move. 

"You leave us alone," Gladio orders, chin up. 

"You're dreadfully intimidating, little Amicitia, but--"

Gladio hefts the handgun up.

The man chuckles. 

_Gladio fires. _

Evidently Ignis isn't the only one who's startled. The man reels back.

"Ouch!" He grumbles. "That _hurt!_" 

Gladio adjusts, waits for him to stand back up--

"Now, little Amicitia, I really must--"  
  
Gladio empties the clip into him.

Well, damn, Ignis isn't going to sit around. Hefting Noctis onto his back he grabs Gladio's hand and yanking compels them all to run out the door. 

They've only made it down a few corridors before they run head first into---

"Whoa, whoa," Big Noctis steadies them, "what are you two--? Is that me?"

"We went to get you," Ignis mumbles, toddler Noctis clinging to his back.

"I-- Ugh, your two are geniuses and I hate it," Big Noctis laughs weakly surrendering to the reality that, like it or not, the children are involved. "Have you seen a funny looking man in a hat?"

"I shot him!" Gladio reels, that reality seemingly starting to sink in. He sounds surprised at himself.

"Good job," Big Noctis applauds sincerely. "Where was he?"

"Back in your room," Gladio points over their shoulders. "He's bad?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to beat his face in." Big Noctis assures. "You guys head for the King's rooms, okay? It's still secure up there. Can you do that?"

"Ahuh!" Ignis promises his future Prince.

"Stay safe," Big Noctis urges, "and stay together." 

"Right!" Both boys chorus.

Ignis convinces Noctis to walk, holding his hand, but the toddler is confused and distraught and its not a great time. Still Ignis compels him to walk and they weave through back corridors all the way up to the King's suite. 

When the elevator pings open twelve Crownsgaurd with guns stand armed to take them down.

"Hold!" A guard booms to the others.

The guards bicker, under their breath, for a few seconds as Ignis, Noctis and Gladio stand trembling on the tiles but then Ignis' Uncle, Iren Scientia, comes barging out from behind the line.

"Down, down, all of you down!" He orders. "It's the Prince!" 

The Crownsguard immediately enfold the children behind the line. Uncle Iren hefts Noctis up onto his hip and takes Ignis' hand. 

"What're you doing here?" He grumbles to Ignis. "You're supposed to be in Clarus' office."

"We had to help Noctis," Ignis tries to explain.

"There was a guy!" Gladio adds. "He said--"

"While I am very happy you're all safe you shouldn't be gallivanting around in a crisis." Uncle Iren chides. "We're still having trouble securing the palace. His Majesty took Glaive for the Prince's rooms when we lost contact with them. I need to call and update him. Please just sit and be safe, alright?"

Gladio and Ignis nod dumbly.

Ignis and Gladio sit upon a royal sofa, Noctis coiled up sulkily between them, and apparently something in the situation has awoken something in Gladio because even he consents to hold the Prince's little hand. 

"Yes Majesty," Ignis hears his uncle explaining, "I can't tell you what happened exactly but Ignis and Gladio brought the Prince here. He's safe with us. I'm looking at him right now. I-- Yes, of course, I understand."

After another few moments orchestrating Uncle Iren turns back to Ignis.

"The King says there's another unidentified person in the Citadel attempting to assist us." Uncle Iren explains. "He has magic. Did you see such a person?"

"Ahuh," Gladio nods. That'll be Big Noctis.

"Did he tell you his name? Anything?" Uncle Iren supposes.

"Uh, well--"

Ignis kicks Gladio.

He's seen enough sci-fi movies to suspect telling the adults could mess up the whole space time continuum.

"Ignis Scientia," his Uncle rounds on him at the kick, "_explain._"

"You wouldn't believe me," Ignis counters.

"Ignis, sweetheart," Uncle Iren sighs, "I will believe anything tonight."

"It..." Ignis frowns. "It was Noctis."

Uncle Iren frowns back.

"Like, grown up Noctis," Gladio tries to explain. "He talked to us."

"I suspect you're confused or this man is lying," Uncle Iren dismisses with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Regardless, until we get these two intruders in custody you three are sitting right here where I can keep an eye on you."

"I told you you wouldn't believe me," Ignis huffs.

For the record; they don't catch either magic wielding stranger. By morning they're just both gone. What happened, if big Noctis stopped the bad man in the hat, Ignis isn't sure but still....

"You were pretty cool last night," Gladio grumbles, reluctantly impressed as they come out of lock down. 

Ignis glances, Noctis asleep in his arms and shrugs sheepishly. "You shot a guy," he whispers. "That was cool too."

"Yeah..." Gladio murmurs, thoughtful. "I've decided you're totally insane though, just saying. I mean I just thought you were a goody two shoes dork but you're absolutely crazy."

"Does that mean we're friends....?" Ignis supposes.

"It means I'm never making you mad." Gladio shrugs and that's sort of the same thing. 

Ignis shrugs, he'll take that.

* * *

Many, many, years later Ignis finds himself waiting anxiously by a fire for several long hours. Prompto can't stop chewing his nails, Gladio has taken to pacing and prowling, but Ignis is certain everything will be okay. 

"Aaaaah!" Noctis wails as he falls out of the sky. 

Gladio surges forward and doesn't so much catch Noctis as become a landing spot. They both tumble but Gladio seems to cushion his fall.

"Whoa..." Noctis sits up, head spinning.

Prompto and Ignis are both up on their feet but Gladio is already checking Noctis for injuries while still half crushed under him. 

"I went back in time!" Noctis declares dazedly.

"Dude _what?_" Prompto gapes.

"It was, like, my birthday or something! When I was little!" Noctis explains. "I saw tiny Ignis and tiny Gladio!"

"Yes, I recall," Ignis snorts. "I suspected that might've been the case."

"_You never told me--?_" Noctis starts to wail.

"Never mind, did you get Ardyn?" Gladio grumbles. 

"I sent him forward again, got a few good blows in," Noctis assures, "but I don't think he's dead."

"Shame," Ignis sighs. "He's alright, Gladio?"

"Yeah Princess looks okay," Gladio grumbles, still corralling Noctis in his lap. "Gave me a heart attack..."

"So, like, wait," Prompto demands. "You guys remember Noct going _back in time?_"

"We questioned if it was a dream sometimes," Ignis shrugs, "but, yes, I remember. It was Noctis' third birthday."

"You guys totally saved me!" Noctis reels. "You should've seen it Prom! This teeny, tiny, Gladio shot Ardyn in the face." 

"Dude!" Prompto wheezes. "No way!" 

"Never liked suspicious men with hats," Gladio shrugs.

"Start of a lifelong mistrust for millinery," Ignis nods. 

"Start of my lifelong understand that Ignis is fucking wild," Gladio snorts.

"I resent that," Ignis huffs.

"It was _your_ idea to go after Noct." Gladio reminds.

"_Seriously?_" Noctis laughs. "Who's idea was it to bring the gun?" 

Ignis and Gladio both answer with each other's names immediately and Prompto falls back laughing.

"At least you're safe," Ignis dismisses, "both now and then." 


End file.
